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Illegal Parking

East Park pupils get tough on illegal parking

Eagle-eyed children are clamping down on selfish drivers who park dangerously outside their Wolverhampton school by handing out warning tickets, which can lead to real fines.

Students and staff at East Park Academy are working with the police to stop motorists parking on double yellow lines and the zig-zag markings outside their school in Hollington Road.

And they are proving such a good deterrent that residents in neighbouring roads are asking them to help out and stop selfish drivers parking irresponsibly in their streets.

A team of Year 5 and 6 students have been trained by police as part of the West Midlands Police Safety Outside Schools scheme. They can issue warning tickets, take down car registration numbers and record evidence of illegal parking.

If a driver persists and gets two school warning tickets a police officer will go to the car owner’s address and warn the driver if they are caught again it will lead to an official parking fine and even points on their licence.

Hayley Guest, head teacher at East Park Academy, said; “We have started the new school term as we mean to go on – encouraging road safety outside our school gates. This means our children are working with the police on this brilliant scheme. It teaches pupils about road safety and prevents selfish drivers from parking where they shouldn’t.”

PC Stewart Sterling, who works with pupils on the scheme, added: “This is all about educating drivers not to park outside school gates. We’ve had a very positive response from motorists around here and the children take their role very seriously.

“I’ve only had to make one visit after several warning tickets were ignored. In fact the students are doing such a good job that residents in nearby roads have asked if they can go along and hand out tickets to illegally parked cars.”